Over the course of 2018, California has suffered both its largest and its most destructive wildfires. The Camp Fire is the state’s most destructive, burning over 142,000 acres, killing at least 85 people, and destroying more than 18,000 structures. These totals are apt to rise, as not all of the missing have been accounted for and the fire still isn’t fully contained. In July, the Mendocino County Fire—comprised of both the Ranch and smaller River fires—became California’s largest at over 458,000 acres, though it only destroyed some 280 structures.

Among them were several belonging to Aster Farms, an Upper Lake cannabis company founded in 2016 by husband-and-wife team Julia Jacobson and Samuel Ludwig on the farm where Director of Cultivation Noah Cornell had lived since 2008. Four months later, the company is just getting back on their feet; today, Jacobson describes the farm’s garden as “a little oasis of green amidst moonscape.” How does one recover from complete devastation? Jacobson and Ludwig say it’s all about gratitude, community support, and looking for the silver lining.

Jacobson and Ludwig

Both Jacobson and Ludwig had used cannabis for medicinal purposes prior to becoming entrepreneurs in the industry. Jacobson used it for insomnia